Automatic grain-weighing device.



2.0. BERG. AUTOMATIC GRAIN WBIGHING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAYll,190B- THE NORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON, 0.1:.

PATENTED OCT. 30, 1906.

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PATENTED OCT. 30, 1906.

B. O. BERG. AUTOMATIC GRAIN WEIGHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED HAY 11,1906.

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TELLING o. BERG, vor MADISON, MINNESOTA.

AuToMAT l C GRAIN-WEIGHING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 30, 1906.

' Application filed May 11, 1906. Serial No. 316,281.

To all it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLING O. BERG, a

. citizen of the United States, residing at Madiprovide an improvedautomatic grain-weighing device for use in grain-elevators and elsewherewhere grain is transmltted from one polnt to another.

To the above ends. the invention consists of the novel devices andcombinationsfof deindicate like elevation of the parts shown m Fig. 1.

vices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims. r

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein likecharacters parts throughout the several views.

Referring tothe drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, showingmy invention applied to an ordinary elevator-leg, some parts beingbroken away. Fig. 2 is a front Fig. 3 is a plan view showing in detail ayoke-like hopper-supporting lever, and Fig. 4 is a vertical sectiontaken on the line as :21: of Fig. 2.

The numeral 1 indicates an elevator-leg in which runs an endlesscup-equipped elevatorbelt 2, both of the usual construction, the

said leg having at its upper portion a hood 3,

provided within with a deflecting-board 4., arranged to direct the grainfrom said conveyer to a discharge-opening 5 in the bottom of theprojected portion of said hood.

The grain-measuring hopper 6 is open at its top and at its bottom isformed with a contracted discharge-passage 7 This hopper 6 is located ina position with its open upper end directly underlying thedischargepassage 5 of the hood 3, and it is supported in such positionwith freedom for limited vertical movements by the forwardly-pro'jecting prongs of a yoke-like lever 8, which lever embraces the hood 3and elevator-leg 1 and is pivoted to the former at 9. On therearwardly-projecting portions of the sides of the yoke 8 are adjustableweights 10. The transverse rear portion of the said yoke or lever 8 isadapted to engage stop-pins 11 and 12 on the rear of the hood 3 and leg1,

respectively; These pins '11 and 12 limit the extrememovement of thelever 8, and hence the upward and downward movements of the hopper 6.

Directly underlying the lower end of the hopper 6-is a receiving-hopper13, that is fixed to the elevator-leg 1. As shown, a collar 14 isswiveled on the depending neck portion of the hopper 13, and to thiscollar is pivoted a discharge-spout 15.

A rockshaft 16 extends transversely through the hopper 6 and is pivotedto the sides thereof. To this rock-shaft 16 is secured a vibratorypartition-plate 17, that extends from the bottom to the top of thehopper. To the upper edge of one side of the partition-plate 17 issecured an upwardlyprojecting' bearing 18, to which is journaled anantifriction wheel or roller 19. This wheel 19 engages and runs againstthe under surface of a curved cam-plate 20, secured on the same side ofthe hood 3. This camplate 20 intersects an arc struck from the centerofthe rock-shaft 16, tangent to the upper portions of the wheel 19, thehopper being positioned as shown in Fig. 1. It therefore follows thatthe said wheel 19 cannot travel against the under surface of thecam-plate 20, and hence the partition-plate 17 cannot be moved from oneosition to the other (indicated by full and otted lines in Fig. 4)without requiring a downward movement of the hopper 6.

The adjustable weights 10 on the sides of the lever 8 should, of course,be set to counterbalance the hopper 6 and the desired weight of graintherein. This being done, the hopper 6 will be held upward and thepartitionplate 17 held in one or the other of its extreme positionsuntil the predetermined accumulation of grain in the hopper overcomesthe said weights and forces the said hopper downward, whereupon theweight of the grain against the lower portion of said partition-platewill cause the said partition-plate to move from one side to the otherof its eX- treme positions. When the partition-plate is thus'movedsayfrom the position shown by full lines in Fig. 4 to the position shown bydotted lines in Fig. 1it will immediately permit the discharge of theaccumulated grain on the left-hand side of the hopper, and while thegrain is still escaping from that side of the hopper said plate willdirect the grain from the hood into the right-hand side of the hopper,so that there is no lost time and no waste of grain. The discharge ofthe grain from the hopper will be more rapid than the supply of grainthereto, and hence the load of the hopper being lightened the hopperwill again be raised and the wheels 19 will be again engaged with thecam-plates 20, thereby securing the partition-plate 17 in its last setposition.

To register the amount of grain Weighed and passed through the hopper bythe abovedescribed means, a suitable tally should be provided, and meansshould also be provided 'for automatically actuating such tally orregister. Almost any of the well-known forms of tally may be employed.In the drawings the numeral 21 indicates the tally or register, havingthe well-known form of actuating star-wheel 22 exposed at the ex teriorthereof. This tally is shown as secured to one side of the hood 3. Atthat side of the device to which the tally is secured the rock-shaft 16projects and is provided with an upwardly-extending arm 23. This arm 23carries approximately a V-shaped camleg 24, which under both directionsof movement of the arm 23will engage one of the arms of the star-wheel22 and impart thereto a one-step movement always in the same direction,and thereby cause the said tally to record the number of vibratorymovements of the arm 23, and hence of the partitionplate 17. With thedevice set to weigh bushels of grain each vibratory movement of the saidarm and partition-plate will represent one bushel of grain weighed andpassed through the hopper. In'some cases it will be desired to make thearm quite heavy, so that it will assist in holding the partition-platein its extreme positions, the said arm being given movement from oneside to the other of a vertical position under vibratory movements ofsaid partition-plate.

The device above described, While ex tremely simple, has in practicebeen found very efficient for the purposes had in View.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a weighing-hopperyieldingly supported for vertical movements, means for delivering graininto the upper end of said hopper, a partition-plate pivotally mountedwithin said hopper and provided at its upper portion with a Wheel, and afixed cam-plate with which said wheel engages, the said wheel andcam-plate tending to hold said partition-plate in either of its twoextreme positions when the said hopper is held in its uppermostposition, and a tally arranged to register the number of vibratorymovements of said partition-plate, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an elevator-leg having a hood and an endlessconveyer Working therein, of a weighted lever S pivoted to said hood, ahopper 6 supported by said lever, a partition-plate 17 intermediatelypivoted within said hopper and provided at its upper portion with awheel 19, a cam-plate 2O iixed on said hood and cooperating with saidroller to hold said partition-plate in either of its extreme positionswhen said hopper is raised, an arm mounted to vibrate with saidpartition-plate, and a tally arranged to be actuated by said arm undermovements thereof in both directions, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELLING O. BERG.

Witnesses:

LOUIS O. BERG, ERVIN J. HANsoN.

